This summer, from July 7-10, APSA hosted the seventh annual Institute for Civically Engaged Research (ICER) at the University of California, Los Angeles. ICER is a four-day, residential workshop that trains political scientists in the theory and practice of ethical, rigorous, and community-engaged research. The institute was held in partnership with UCLA Social Sciences and the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), and with generous support from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation. The Institute brought together 21 Fellows for four days of intensive training, discussion, and community building.
Since its founding in 2019, ICER has equipped political scientists with the skills, networks, and ethical frameworks needed to conduct civically engaged research (CER). The institute also creates space for reflection on some of the persistent challenges and dilemmas in conducting engaged research. Participants explored strategies for building equitable partnerships, designing co-produced projects, and publishing CER in ways that meet scholarly standards while reaching broader audiences. Sessions addressed navigating institutional review boards for participatory research, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, and maintaining methodological rigor while centering community priorities.
Fellows also examined career-related challenges, including balancing local relevance with generalizable scholarship, compensating community partners fairly, and sustaining projects beyond grant cycles. Civic leader panels brought in Los Angeles-based activists and organizational leaders, offering Fellows firsthand insights into community priorities, collaboration challenges, and innovative approaches to social and civic problems.
The 2025 ICER cohort benefited greatly from its Los Angeles setting. Fellows engaged directly with local scholars, activists, and civic leaders whose work reflects the city’s long history of community organizing and its diverse civic landscape. The presence of these leaders underscored the importance of strong partnerships between universities, scholars, government, and communities in advancing engaged scholarship.
The Institute also featured a special reception at UCLA’s James West Alumni Center, supported by the Haynes Foundation. The event welcomed the new ICER Fellows and brought them together with The Haynes Foundation’s Governance and Democracy Fellows, UCLA leadership, faculty, and community partners. The reception offered space for thoughtful conversation, relationship-building, and celebration of the contributions of civically engaged research to both the academy and the Los Angeles community. The gathering highlighted APSA’s commitment to fostering collaboration and strengthening networks that support CER beyond the Institute itself.
By providing professional development, ethical guidance, and practical strategies, the Institute supports scholars in producing research that is not only methodologically rigorous but also responsive to the needs and priorities of communities. The 2025 Institute illustrates that civically engaged research is but a vital approach for generating knowledge that strengthens both the discipline and democracy.